Latest Project Release: Make Magazine's Elements of Humanity

My friends at Fake-up hired me on this latest project. This has probably been the most complicated site I have done up-to-date. Here is a break down and some slide shows of elementsofhumanity.com. Fake-up did a great job on the art direction while my focus was on the technology.

Technology & API Services

Elements of Humanity has a robust Content Management System that facilitates user driven data as well as overall site media essentials.

We built the CMS with Django framework. The Flash and iPhone web app and dynamic banners pull data via Adobe ActionScript Messaging Format - AMF. This approached helped us seamlessly integrate all platforms to a central data server.

Highlighted technologies:

Back-end Content Management System (Django/Python)
Send-to-Friend
Twitter API
User comment and iLike ranking

Front-end (ActionScript 3.0, jQuery, CSS, xHTML)
Utilized Flash Cookies for unique user session handling
Built a video player light for social networking outlets such as Facebook

All content served via CDN for optimal user experience.

SEO, Metrics & AD Services

The site heavily implements Google Analytics via their GA Flash and JavaScript API. Make can easily track all user interaction, including the Apple iPhone Web Application version. Elements of Humanity has dynamic deep linking which facilitates SEO compliances with Flash content.

Dynamic Banner:
An important aspect to Elements of Humanity’s dynamic banner was to feature selective Experts via an Ad Served banner. By creating a banner that can feed data from the CMS - We were able to successfully accomplish this.

Technical Highlights:
Google Analytics
Gigya
SWFAddress Deep-Linking
Dynamic Banner w/ ClickTags

Robust Flash site with robust data-driven content

iPhone web application; Video enabled

CMS built with Django framework

Dynamic banner served by advertisement servers